The present invention relates to a method for coating a wafer with a fluid coating from a coating container, wherein the product is given an edge coating as well as a coating on the inside surfaces, where said coating is stirred, as the repression bodies are elevated and lowered in one or more first areas of said coating container.
Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for coating a wafer with a fluid coating from a coating container, wherein the product is given an edge coating as well as a coating on the inside surfaces, which device comprises repression bodies that are intended for stirring the coating, and which are provided in the container as well as supply bodies for the coating, where the device comprises at least one first area of the coating container, where repression bodies are provided that are arranged for displacement down into and up from the mixture, a second area of the coating container where a well-defined surface level can be established by means of level plates that limit the second area in which the products are immersed, and at least a third area in which the supply bodies end.
The invention is especially applicable for an inside coating as well as an edge coating of confectionary products such as ice-cream wafers with a fluid chocolate coating which may comprise chocolate bean shells. However, the invention will also be applicable in other areas where coating is established by spraying the coating onto the inside of the product as well as edge coating by immersing the product into a coating mixture, in which a stirring is carried out in order to avoid sedimentation of the different ingredients in the coating. Thus, present invention will be advantageous in connection with coating, which comprises different fluid basic ingredients that tend to sediment, if no stirring is performed.
In wafers, coating is performed out of consideration of the product's durability and in order to avoid that ice-cream comes into direct contact with the wafer and softens it.
Thus, there is a need to create a damp-proof coating on the inside as well as on the edge.
Previously, when establishing a chocolate coating of wafers, spray-nozzles connected with a pump were used for spraying coating into the inside of the wafer and containers were used in which the wafers are immersed in rows, as they hang freely at the under side of a traditional apron conveyor. In the container, different types of repression bodies have been applied in order to create a stirring in the shape of a circulation in the fluid chocolate substance. This has often been combined with a rotating mechanical stirrer, arranged at the bottom of the container in order to create sufficient movement in the coating mixture.
However, the known methods to create movement in the coating mixture have caused a problem, as the repression bodies and the stirring bodies have been exposed to wear due to cocoa bean shells. This has had a damaging influence on the reliability. Furthermore, the known spray-nozzles are very sensitive towards the coating's viscosity and temperature. There is a large risk of clogging or operation failure. Large demands for very well-defined characteristics for coating are put forward in order to establish a correct spray/mist for correct coating. This has the effect that only a very expensive special chocolate coating has been applicable, even though it has not been necessary with respect to the quality of the product.
In known coating containers used when coating ice-cream wafers, a problem has existed if a wafer has been disconnected from a conveyor and fallen down into the coating mixture. Such a situation will cause problems, as a spray of chocolate is pumped out into the room and soils the device and the surroundings. Furthermore, the wafer fragments will be mixed in with the substance. This can clog up the nozzles and may damage the repression pumps that are used in order to create circulation in the coating mixture. For many years, tests with the establishment of filters have been going on. However, this has been difficult in coating mixtures comprising additives; as such additives must be conveyed through the system without problems.
In the Danish patent DK 173 587, is described a method and device of the previously mentioned type for coating a product, where it is possible to coat confectionary products such as ice-creams by immersion.